CHAPTEK XVII 



TO THE KHASIA MOUNTAINS 



This, the fourth and concluding expedition, lasted nine months. 

 A start was made on May 1, 1850. A six weeks' boat journey 

 took them down the (northern) Mahanuddy, an affluent of 

 the Ganges, across the great delta at the head of the Bay of 

 Bengal, then past Dacca, and by the course of the Ganges, the 

 Bramahputra, and the Soormah to Chattuc and Punduah at 

 the foot of the Khasia Hills. From this point first elephants 

 and then an army of 110 coolies conveyed the travellers and 

 their belongings to Churra, on the mountain tableland, on 

 June 12. On September 13 they left for the eastern part of 

 the plateau, and on November 17, having made an exhaustive 

 collection, including 2500 species of plants and 300 kinds of 

 woods, descended to Cachar, beyond Silhet. Lack of time and 

 tribal warfare prevented entrance into the botanically unex- 

 plored valley of Manipur. 



Cachar was left on December 2 for Silhet, where four days 

 were spent, and Chattuc, whence on the 9th a fortnight of 

 boat brought them to Chittagong. Here a botanical excursion 

 was made to the north, and plants were collected apparently 

 unknown since Koxburgh's time. But the higher hills were 

 inaccessible, for the head-hunters were very active, and had 

 taken thirty heads from one Bengali village the week before. 

 Setting out again by boat on January 16 they reached Calcutta 

 on the 28th, and leaving on February 7, arrived once more in 

 England on March 25, 1851. 



The first part of this eastward journey, what with the bad- 

 ness of the boats and excessive indolence of the crews, a ther- 



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